Meghalaya class 9 student develops smart gas leak detector, gets award

A Class 9 student from Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district won the jury award at the North East Science Fair & Innovation Festival for developing a system that detects gas leaks and initiates preventive measures to avert accidents, officials said on Sunday.
James Donald Kharkongor, a student of Mawngap District Christian Multipurpose HS School, received the recognition at the regional event organised by the National Science Centre, Guwahati, a unit of the National Council of Science Museums. James, who hails from Laitpynter Synrangkaban village, said his father is a school teacher while his mother works as a housekeeper. “I want to contribute my ideas to help build the nation,” he said, explaining the motivation behind his innovation.
The award was conferred in recognition of the project’s practical relevance, technical integration and potential societal impact, officials said. The Smart LPG Safety and Hazard Prevention System uses advanced gas sensors to monitor air quality continuously and activates a buzzer alarm when gas concentration exceeds safe levels, they said. An automated exhaust fan is simultaneously triggered to disperse accumulated gas and reduce the risk of ignition, they added.
A key feature of the device is an automatic solenoid valve that shuts off the gas supply upon detecting a leak, preventing further discharge and minimising the risk of fire or explosion, officials said. The system is also integrated with IoT-based alerts for remote monitoring and real-time notifications, they said. The Innovation Hub of the Shillong Science Centre has been mentoring Kharkongor through hands-on training, technical guidance and exposure to scientific platforms.